MASTERING WITH LAMBDA LABS QX3
A revolution to electronic music mastering
Flush-mounted loudspeaker installation
Mastering grade acoustics
Lambda Labs QX3 as a reference
Most people agree: the Lambda Labs QX3 sound system is 'the best horn loaded system in the world' and famous for electronic music. Worldwide, it is used at music events established for audiophiles and enthusiasts in various genres. For us, the lambda labs qx3 sound system is the answer to the question: 'How do we make the most important decisions in the studio when producing electronic music for large events?'
Sounds good "everywhere"
For almost 100 years, the music industry is talking about a mastering process that takes place at the end of a music production. Since then, various approaches have been developed to make music "sound good everywhere". If it sounds good in the mastering studio, it "sounds good everywhere" - right?
The need of today's electronic music mastering
While traditional approaches have served their purpose for decades, today's electronic music demands something extraordinary. With the rise of streaming platforms with very high competitive loudness, booming club environments with often very high reverberation times, and massive outdoor festivals with huge speaker systems, there is no One-Size-Fits-All Mastering Solution.
"Modern electronic music played at festivals or in clubs should be considered the equivalent of a band's live performance. Just as a band needs a customized sound check, electronic productions would benefit from specialized mastering."
- Joel Hostettler, kybernetik.lab
Small decisions have big impact
Big stages need a dedicated product for which many small decisions are made in the mastering process that have a big impact on big stages. One could say:
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'big stages need big sound'
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However, big doesn't mean squashed like in the loudness war on streaming platforms. what we mean when we say big is:
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big transients - big low end - big depth - big dynamics - big room to breathe.
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All the things that fell victim to the loudness war in order to sound "big" on CD and streaming platforms.
"I am not against loudness war, but on big stages there should be peace."
- joel hostettler, kybernetik.lab
Let's get specific: how does an electronic music master perform on a pa system with over 90db for 5000 people, when it also has to prove itself on apple earpods with high density and loudness on streaming platforms? - It sounds good.
If you want to achieve more than
"sounds good everywhere",
then you need more than one master file.
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What you need is...
Streaming
Multiple versions for different platforms.
Mastered with QX3â„¢
Optimized for large events and big speaker systems outdoor and indoor sperately.
Physical media
Multiple versions for different media (like CD, Vinyl etc.).